Al-Ittihad pegged back as winless run rolls on

Mohamed Sherif scored late on as Al-Ittihad’s winless run in the Saudi Pro League stretched to four games after a 1-1 draw with Al-Khaleej.

Al-Ittihad have endured a miserable title defence, and with just two games remaining, the highest the big-spending, PIF-backed club can finish is fourth.

Muhannad Al Shanqiti put them ahead on the stroke of half-time, yet despite having a further eight shots and accumulating 1.07 xG in the second half, Al-Ittihad could not add another.

Their profligacy proved costly in the 81st minute, with Egypt international Sherif snatching an equaliser for 11th-placed Al-Khaleej.

Full time
Ittihad 1-1 Khaleej pic.twitter.com/DojykOjMIr

— Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) May 16, 2024

Al-Tai moved out of the relegation zone with a surprise 3-1 win over seventh-placed Al-Fateh, with Bernard Mensah scoring twice.

Al-Raed, meanwhile, claimed a 1-0 win at Al-Wehda.

Data Debrief: Kante the creator?

On the day he received a surprising France recall, N’Golo Kante created three chances for Al-Ittihad, leading the team.

On the flip side, Kante only attempted one tackle, with the midfielder showing a different side to his game, not that it proved fruitful for his team.